Longing
by AmazonWariorPrincess
Summary: One night after the final battle Angelina finds herself living the most important moment of her life, and discovering its incredible ability to take her hand and lead her through the rest of her days.


**Longing**

Angelina collapsed in her old bed. This was the first time she had taken a moment to rest since the end of the final battle. She closed her eyes and pulled the blankets over her exhausted body. She didn't stop to think of the dead. She didn't stop to think of the people she would never see again; those she'd only seen and those she loved. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

"Aaaangiieeee," a voice whispered in her ear. She didn't move, preferring to think that it was only in her imagination.

"Angiieeeee…" She squeezed her eyes shut tighter.

_He was gone,_ she thought to herself. _That is not him;_ _his voice is not real_.

"Angelinaaaaaaaa…" That was certainly not in her head.

Angelina forced herself to open her eyes just to prove there really was no one there and that she really was going crazy.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up through the semi-darkness, only to find a pair of enchanting blue eyes mere centimeters from her own brown ones.

She would have screamed in surprised if a pair of lips had not quickly captured her own. The shock of the moment stunned her into silence. The lips pressed harder and were then gone just as quickly as they came.

The face pulled back enough for Angelina to see a smattering of freckles across a pale face and orange hair dusting the edges of high cheek bones.

Fred stared deep into Angelina's eyes and then leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Come with me." He pulled back to look at her face.

"You're not real," she whispered back. "You died." She looked back and forth between his hypnotizing eyes.

"Oh," he whispered merrily, "But my dear gorgeous beautiful darling lovely Angie, do I look dead to you?" Fred brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes, his own twinkling with his typical wild look of mischief.

She hesitated, slowly dragging her fingers over his cheeks and nose. Her thumb trailed across his full red lips.

"I saw you die," she could barely breathe.

"But lovely," his lips were a mere breath away from hers. "I'm right here."

Fred leaned in again and kissed her ear. He pulled her hands gently as he backed off the bed. Angelina followed without a fight as she continued to marvel at her love.

They slipped out of her dorm unnoticed and out into the common room. The lack of people seemed not to faze either of the lovers as they focused on each other. Fred led Angelina out of the Gryffindor tower, through several corridors and up to a set of stairs.

She barely noticed where they were going; simply content to trust the man she loved. When he stopped and turned to face her with his back to a long spiralling staircase she looked at him with a puzzled expression.

He gave her a winning grin and a quick peck on the lips, and then steered her up the stairs.

At the top, Angelina looked around; the Astronomy tower over looked all of the Hogwarts grounds, from the mountains in the distance, to the edges of the Hogsmeade village. The lake, now as black as the night's sky, glittered with the crystalline light of the moon. She could feel the breeze that made the trees of the Forbidden Forest dance blow through her hair. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into the safety and warmth of another body.

Neither noticed the lack of bodies or debris or mayhem that should have littered the grounds of their magnificent school. They watched as the colourful moonlight magnolia's bloomed in the forest.

Angelina didn't think of the war or the dead. She didn't think of the people she would never see again; those she'd only seen and those she loved. She simply breathed in the fresh night air and the smell of the firm body pressed up against her.

Fred pulled out his wand and cast a spell that caused a beautiful golden orb to appear over their heads. The orb floated up into the rafters of the Astronomy tower where it stayed. It pulsed with light momentarily then started to play a soft melody. Fred spun Angelina slowly around in his arms, and slipped an arm securely around her back. She placed one hand on his shoulder and took his proffered hand, pulling their entwined fingers close to her chest.

They moved slowly together, swaying along with the enchanted music. The world stopped; all that was left was the blowing breeze and the twinkling stars. The first song ended and another started, but neither noticed, lost in each other's touch.

They danced for hours and days while only minutes passed. Finally, Fred pulled back. He looked Angelina in the eyes and said, "I love you." She smiled her first real smile of the night. "I love you," she whispered back. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. When they separated, Fred smiled deviously, and then slipped a hand into his jacket pocket. As he moved to reveal his hand, he sunk down onto one knee, exposing a small back box. Angelina didn't move. She couldn't breathe. All she could feel were the small tears gliding down her soft pink cheeks.

"Angelina Johnston; will you marry me?" The box held a little ring with three perfectly cut diamonds perched at the top of the sliver band.

Fred waited for his answer, but none came. His face started to fall slightly when all he could see where her tears. Minutes passed and nothing happened but the gentle tune of the golden orb.

Angelina's eyes traveled slowly from the ring, to Fred's lips, then his nose, then finally to his stunning blue eyes. She leaned forward ever so slowly and placed her hands on either side of his face. Angelina closed her eyes and kissed he man she loved. She could feel Fred smile against her lips and kiss her back.

She pulled back ever so lightly and whispered the most important word in Fred's life; "Yes."

He grinned up at her and took her left hand in his own. He slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her hand. Angelina looked at the token of his love and closed her eyes to the onslaught of tears. The most beautiful smile painted its way across her face.

Angelina opened her eyes. The red material of her canopy bed met her gaze with a longing sorrow. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe through the tears in the back of her throat. Once she could feel the dizziness fade, she rolled to her side. The muggle clock on the nightstand beside her read two-thirty in the afternoon… two days after the final battle. She sighed and clenched her teeth against the threatening nausea. She rolled away from the time to face the other direction. On the nightstand to the left of the bad sat a small black box and a folded note.

_Angie_, it read.

She reached over and snatched up the piece of parchment. Unfolding it, she could see the familiar messy scrawl.

_I found this in his trunk. There isn't much I can say because we both know that no matter what, he is gone. He loved you more than I can tell you, and I want you to have this._

_Georgie_

The black ink was smudged in places from fallen tears, but few were her own.

Angelina looked up from the note to the small black box. She mustered all of her courage and picked it up. Opening the velvety top, she saw a beautiful ring. It was a stunning silver band, with three clawed pedestals holding three perfect diamonds. In the afternoon light that shone through the tower windows, the stones glittered; casting rainbows over her canopied bed.

Angelina couldn't see through the tears in her eyes. The ring was identical. Letting her heartbreak glide from her eyes down her cheeks, she slowly pulled her ring from its box. Just before slipping it onto her finger, she noticed a small inscription on the inside of the band.

_Never forget my love for you_

The metal band fit her finger perfectly. She watched the diamonds in the center of her ring; watched them sparkle in the afternoon light seeping in from the dorm windows. Little rainbows scattered over the canopy above her head.

Angelina closed her eyes to the onslaught of tears.

Taking a deep breath, she closed the velvet box, setting it back on the nightstand. She knew that this was no longer her bed, and that some little girl was going to be very surprised to find it sitting there, but Angelina couldn't really be bothered to care. She breathed deeply again and rubbed her hands over her face.

Then she stood up, steeled herself and walked out of the dorm room. She didn't know where she was going, but she now knew that no matter what she chose to do, he would always be there with her.


End file.
